about the curse and blessing of technological developments
Preview Publication
designtransfer Showcase, 15 March – 14 June, 24/7
Book Launch, 10 May, 17:00 – 19:00
Augurs in ancient Rome used crooks to indicate the divine approval or rejection of planned projects.
We live in a time of immense upheaval, paradigm shifts and fundamental questions. We are experiencing division, confusion and uncertainty. Big Tech, Big Pharma and Big Money have increasing profits as well as growing political and social influence in private / public partnerships, among others.
The fusion of humans and technologies is advancing through the Internet of Bodies, Artificial Intelligence, automation, nano- and bio-engineering, biosecurity, designer organisms, geo-engineering, digital homeschooling, smart homes and cities, as well as obligatory contact tracing and digital identity for access to public life.
With our digital shadows under global governance, will we live in a super-digitised, hyper-connected, biometric-technocratic surveillance state – a cross over between George Orwell’s “1984” and Aldous Huxely’s “Brave New World”?
Technologies hold the potential for great blessing as well as intangible curse, and they are only as good or bad as the people who develop and use them.
How can design interpret the signs, take responsibility and help steer the direction for a more human, freer, fairer world?
All are welcome to participate with talks, visuals, videos and installations.
Contact: designtransfer@udk-berlin.de, subject: Auguren
The projects and research will be published.
Untitled, 1993, Felix Gonzalez-Torres